New Jersey Senate allows trans people to obtain new birth certificates

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2013/12/15/us-new-jersey-senate-approves-bill-allowing-trans-people-to-obtain-new-birth-certificates/

This is an article I found about some interesting progress. The New Jersey Senate will now allow transgender and intersex people to get new birth certificates. In the past there was a law in place that a transgender person much undergo sexual reassignment surgery before they could be issued a new birth certificate. Under the new law any transgender person is able to request a new one. This may seem like a small change but as the article notes I think these are the first steps towards greater understanding and acceptance. One of the Chairman on the Committee said, " “Birth certificates always have been a means of how we traditionally identify a person. In the transgender community, it doesn’t reflect who they are mentally, spiritually and in every other way but physically." Kudos to New Jersey!!